Tracklist: The Box (5:36), The Shadow Of The Wind (3:32), The Train To Nowhere (8:02), The Story Begins (4:53), Project Mayhem (4:34), The Chase (4:29), The Keeper (1:42), Miss You (2:52), Under The Bridge, Near The River (7:17), You're Not Alone (8:18), The Box (Reprise) (2:45), Kick The Habit (4:22), The Sound Of August (7:13), The Better Year (7:03)

Despite being promoted as a band effort this ‘debut’ album from Bittertown is essentially the work of Dutch songwriter and musician Tom Janssen and very good it is too. By all accounts he only really got into prog in 2000 when he heard a friend’s Spock’s Beard CD, before releasing his first solo album The Element Of Surprise in 2004, which received a very positive review from our own Bob Mulvey. Scenes From The Box follows in the same vein being a collection of intelligent and tuneful rock songs with proggy overtones. Handling production, programming, backing vocals, bass, guitar, and keyboard duties himself he is supported by Vincent Bodt (drums) and Ewout Dercksen (saxophone). One of the albums strengths lies in the vocal department boasting no less than three very capable singers, Floor Kraaijvanger, Elles Jansen and Erik van Oijen. They each play a different protagonist within the albums concept, namely the ‘Guardian Angel’, the ‘Woman’ and the ‘Man’ respectively.

The concept is a simple one based on the consequences of opening a box that contains ones worst fears and nightmares. The aptly titled opener The Box eases the listener gently into the story with a reflective vocal, guitar and piano prologue. Introductions over, it develops into a breezy mid-tempo song with a stately guitar melody and some colourful keys work. The female vocals (Floor Kraaijvanger I think) are deep and resonant, and on the evidence of this song, with shades of Tina Turner. Later on in The Keeper the female vocal is reminiscent of Boy George. Van Oijen’s voice is effective if unremarkable giving a relaxed performance with just the occasional hint of a rasp in his delivery. Opening appropriately with the sound of a steam engine pulling out of a station, The Train To Nowhere is another catchy affair with a pumping bass line and atmospheric guitar and synth soloing. A jaunty piano section brings Randy Newman to mind and Bodt justifies his position on the drum stool with some explosive playing. Like several of the albums songs it ends with a mellow, acoustic variation of the main theme and a soulful female vocal.

The album includes three instrumentals, the best of which is The Story Begins featuring an impressive fretless bass intro. In an album chock full a superb, upfront bass work (Janssen’s first instrument) the warm and mellow fretless sound makes its mark on several tracks. The sampled rhythm sound’s a tad dated but it fails to distract from the soaring guitar and symphonic keys playing which will conjure up memories of Steve Hackett’s Twice Around The Sun for those familiar with his Darktown album. Fuzz guitar and organ exchanges standout in the next instrumental The Chase whilst Kick The Habit is a rather rambling affair with Larry Fast flavoured synth dynamics and distinctly Middle Eastern sounding sax. Likewise the second half of the penultimate song The Sound Of August is dominated by a jazzy sax solo but it’s a compelling Gilmour-esque guitar break (probably the albums best) that really hits the spot for me.

The most memorable songs generally appear in the latter half of the album including the romantic Miss You and the evocative ballad The Better Year, bringing Styx and Reo Speedwagon respectively to mind. The Better Year in particular makes a fine closer with a gloriously sunny, full bodied guitar sound and an engaging vocal duet. The albums highpoint however is the infectious You're Not Alone featuring a powerful ringing guitar and bass intro. If you log onto the band’s website you’ll be greeted by the same instrumental fanfare and I guarantee you’ll be hooked. When it segues into the song proper it reveals itself to be the album’s catchiest offering in a Fleetwood Mac and Jefferson Starship mould capped by some flamboyant and proggy synth embellishments.

With Scenes From The Box Janssen has produced a worthy successor to 2004’s The Element Of Surprise. If I had to add a minor note of criticism than it would be with 14 songs spread over 73 minutes the standard does dip in places making it feel a tad overlong. There’s no denying however that for the most part he combines a flair for writing quality songs with excellent musicianship, mostly from his own fingers. His bass playing in particular remains inventive throughout and his expressive guitar style ranges from melodic to harder edge without falling into the trap of mimicking the likes of Hackett or Fripp. Add solid drum work, rich keyboard and sax textures and the combined vocal talents of the three leads and you have a winning formula resulting in a very listenable album indeed.